1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to image processing and, more particularly, to a system and method for identifying a gas plume in a region of interest.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lethal gas plumes often exhibit very low concentration levels of gaseous effluents. If such gases are released in an environment, it is sometimes quite difficult to detect their presence. For example, some highly toxic gases such as Sarin or VX are not visible to the human eye and have low levels of emissions compared with surrounding environments. Prior art techniques exist for creating a digital image of energy emissions from a region of interest and then determining whether a gas is present in the region. Such techniques may include a “push broom” approach where a single spectral radiance image is taken from overhead, perhaps using an airborne platform, in a single pass. That image is then processed a few hours later. The disclosure relates to an improvement over these prior art techniques.